Pressure-indicating device for printing presses



W. F. HUCK Nov. 30, 1954 PRESSURE-INDICATING DEVICE FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed March 17, 1951 IN V EN TQR.

HUC K mw NN ww mm 3 Em w (11+ mm/Z V// United States Patent ()filice PRESSURE-INDICATING DEVICE FOR PRINTING PRESSES Application March 17, 1951, Serial No. 216,157

3iClaims. c1. 73-141 This invention relates in general to means for measuring the pressure applied by a printing cylinder to a printingplate while passing thereover, and with a view to determining the effect of different pressures in producing printed impressions.

An object of the invention is to provide pressure-indieating means that may beinstantly applied to the fiat bed of a printing-press and etfective to show the pressure progressivelyapplied to a printing plate during the printing operation, and the effect of such pressure upon the character of the printing impressions produced.

Another, object of the invention is the provision of a pressure-indicating device, embodying a comparatively simplified design and construction, and suitable for use with substantially all types of flat bed presses and effective to denote pressures encountered in normal use.

A further object is to provide a device having means to aiford a magnified indication of any pressure, however slight, exerted by a printing cylinder against a flat printing plate during the printing operation.

Other objects and advantages residing in the design, construction and arrangement of parts will appear as the description proceeds and will be best understood when taken in connection with the accompanying drawmgs wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the invention as operatively applied to a printing press and showing the engagement of the device by a printing cylinder;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but with the printing cylinder in precontacting position; and

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the device, as seen in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the printing art, it is of importance to determine the degree of pressure applied to a printing plate, since the pressure in conjunction with the ink supply are instrumental in regulating the clarity of the printed impression. Means for determining the pressure should preferably be portable, rugged in construction, readily applied to the printing press and denote all normal operating pressures produced during the printing process.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral designates the flat bed of a printing press of convention-a1 construction, and 11 a coacting printing cylinder having the usual sheet or paper grippers, as at 12, adapted for retaining a sheet of material 13 on the cylinder during the printing operation.

The pressure-recording device or instrument of the present invention, designated generally at 14, comprises a body portion 15 of substantial rectangular configuration and having a rear extension 16 at one end, formed integrally therewith; and an elongated extension 17 at its forward end. The rectangular body portion 15 is provided with a pair of marginal, downwardly-projecting flanges 18, 18a which serve as supporting elements and aid in positioning it on the bed 10 of the printing press.

The top of the body portion 15 is formed with a pair of oppositely-disposed, upwardly-projecting flanges, as at 20, 20a; these flanges serving to locate therebetween a thin printing plate 21 upon the upper surface of the body portion. An elongated channel or groove 22 extends con tinuously through the entire length of the instrument from the extremity of the left hand extension 16 to the outer extremity of the right hand extension 17. This groove 22, formed on the underside of the instrument, has a depth in excess of one-half the thickness of the body portion 15 and of the right hand extension 17, but exoperative, biased contact with the Patented Nov. 30, 1954 2 tends through the full thickness of the left hand extension 16 from about the point 22a in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

An elongated member in the form of a lever or tongue 23, arranged in the slot 22, has a contour as indicated in Fig. 2 and a thickness about half the depth of slot 22 on the right hand end; and is enlarged towards the left until at the point 2211 it attains thefull thickness of the extension 16 to which his rigidly fastened by screw ggltg624 and evenly spaced therein by spacer elements A bracket 27 fastened to1a recessed portion 17a of the extension 17fby screw 28, servestas a support for a dialtype indicator, designated generally at 2 9. Theindicator 29 has a stem 30 extending downwardly through an opening 31in the top of the extension 17 and thence into upper surface of the tongue 23 at the point 32. H

Inspection and comparison of Figures 1 and 2 will aid in making clear the operation of the device.

When, as shown in Figure 2, the cylinder llis not in contact with the printing plate 21 positioned on the body portion 15, the extensions 16 and 17 will lie in the-position depicted; but when the printing plate 21 is engaged by the cylinder 11 with pressure, the body portion 15 will be slightly bowed or deflected downwardly, while the extensions 16 and 17 will deflect oppositely or in an upward direction to a magnified degree, as shown in Figure l. At the same time, the right hand, end of the tongue 23, being rigidly fastened to the left-hand extension 16 will swing downwardly and thus permit the indicator stem 30 in biased engagement therewith, to move downwardly while the body portion of the indicator 29 moves upwardly with extension 17. This will be accompanied by an indication on the dial of the indicator that will measure or denote the combined motions of both the tongue 23 and the extension 17.

The length of the right hand extension 17 and the correspondingly long lever 23, it will be observed, combine to greatly amplify slight downward deflections of the body portion 15, so that small pressures or variations thereof, imposed by the cylinder 11 on the printing plate 21 may be easily and conveniently observed on the dial of the indicator 29.

It will be further noted that as the cylinder 11 moves from left to right, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, the prinlt ing plate 21 will be progressively engaged and deflected, the deflection gradually increasing to a maximum as the cylinder reaches the center of the printing plate, and then decreasing to a minimum as the cylinder is about to pass beyond the plate from which point the pressure 15 zero.

The character of the printing impressions produced by the plate 21 on the sheet of paper 13 on the cylinder will denote to the operator whether the pressure is to be increased or decreased in order to achieve the excellence of printing desired.

It is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to some modification and change without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A pressure-indicating device of the kind described and for use with printing presses, said device having a deflectible body portion constructed and adapted to support a printing plate in an operative position with respect to the bed of the printing press, a pair of flanges projecting downwardly from said body portion and serving as its support upon the bed of the printing press, said flanges being arranged in spaced relation transversely across opposite ends of the body portion, said body portion also having a pair of oppositely-directed extensions, groove means stretching longitudinally through said body portion and extensions, an elongated member arranged in said groove means, said elongated member having one terminal portion rigidly secured to one of the extensions and having another terminal portion movable relatively to the other of the extensions, a pressure-indicating apparatus fastened to an outer portion of said other of the ex'tensions,said pressure-indicating apparatus having an operating element-projecting--theretrom and engaging an adjacent end of said elongated member, said element being actuated by relative movement of the adjacentend of the elongated-member with-respect to the portion of the extension whereon the pressure-indicatingapparatus is tfastenedand when pressure is app'lied towa printing plate onsa'id body-portion.

' 2. ;A pressureindicating deVice-ofthekind described and for use withprinting presses, said device having-21 bodyportion constructed and adaptedto support-a printing plate in an operative position with-respect =to the bed of= the printing press,- a pair offlanges projecting downwardly from said body portion and serving as its support upon "the -bed of the -press said flanges being arranged in spaced relation :transversely'across opposite ends; of the body-portion, said-bodyportion 'also "having a pair, :of oppositely-directed extensions, vgroove -means stretching longitudinally through said body portion and extensions, an ei'ongated mem'ber arranged in --said groove 'means, said elongated member havingone'terminai-portion-movable relatively =to one of the extensions and having another termina'h portion rigidly secured -to' the other of the extensions, a bracket secured to the said-one of the extensions, a pressure-indicating apparatus -fastened to said ibracket, and an operating element projecting downwardly from --said apparatus-and engaging an :adjacent end of -the elongatedmember;- whereby pressure-applied to a printing plateron the body portion will deflect said body portion and -consequently-cause the end of-=the extension whereon the pressure-indicatingapparatus -is fastened to move-relatively to' the adjacent end of, the elongated member-that is rin contact -with *theoperating--elernent.

3. A pressure-indicating device of the kind described and for -use with-printing presses, said device-having a deflectible body portion, a pair of flanges projecting upwardly from the body portion and efiective to operatively locate a printing plate thereon, a second pair of flanges arranged in spaced relation transversely across and projecting downwardly from opposite ends of the body portion, said second ,pair .of flanges serving to support the device on "the bed .of :a printing pr ess;,. a;pair of oppositelydirected extensions formedintegrally with the body portiQn-,v-grooveimeans stretching ;longitudinally through the body portion and the extensians, said smovewrneans having a greater depth in one extension than in the other extension, an elongat d member arranged wi hin the groove means and rigidly attached at one end to the extension having the greater.depth,.and,a .pressure indicating apparatus connected to the other extension of less depth, said apparatus having an operating element projecting therefrom and engaging an ladjacentiend :of .the elongated member, said eiement rbeingactuatedgbytrelative movement ofthe said adjacent .-end with respectggto the elongated :member and when 'pressureiis applied'ito ,a printing plate on said body portion.

References Cited .in;the fi1e of this patent.

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